New Orleans
A New Orleans garden paid hundreds of dollars in fees for a sewer that doesn’t exist
Galvez Garden owner Lissie Stewart has been fighting the New Orleans Sewerage and Water Board over inaccurate billing for years.
The HBCU Legacy Bowl is more than a game. It also prepares students for life after sports
Organizers for the all-star game, now in its third year, host a career fair where HBCU students and recent grads plan for their futures before the big game.
Opioid overdoses are on the rise. A Louisiana medical student believes Narcan training can help
Losing his brother to an overdose inspired Jacob Bassin to arm his fellow medical students with free doses of Narcan and train them on how to use it.
LGBTQ doctors are leaving the Gulf South due to discrimination: ‘We weren’t welcome anymore’
The loss of specialized doctors due to the influx of anti-LGBTQ laws is the latest blow to a region already dealing with a shortage of health care providers.
Q&A: Why New Orleans’ unhoused people face increased danger from relentless heat
Delaney Nolan discusses her report for The Guardian that revealed a spike in heat-related illness calls among New Orleans’ unhoused people this summer.
In fight to remove divisive New Orleans highway, activists turn to new strategy — an EPA study
The Claiborne Avenue Alliance hopes a study on the health impacts caused by the expressway will support efforts to remediate and potentially remove the highway.
With ‘dollar stores in every direction,’ some communities are saying enough
Dollar General opens about three locations a day. Advocates against the rapid expansion released a four-step guide for keeping stores from opening.
Public transit in the Gulf South is in need of an overhaul. The solution could lie in the past
The Gulf South is not known for its great public transit systems. Some believe Bus Rapid Transit could solve lingering issues and lead to a better future.
In New Orleans, doctors and churches are teaming up to help Black parishioners get needed care
The effort, part of a five-year study, aims to meet Black patients in a space they feel comfortable to treat hypertension and reduce heart disease risks.
Southern Decadence returns to New Orleans, marked by parades and monkeypox awareness
Health officials gave out monkeypox vaccines and encouraged everyone — not just the LGBTQ community — to take the virus more seriously at the annual festival.
Workers at New Orleans Starbucks say yes to unionizing; the 1st in Louisiana
The successful, 11-to-1 vote happened weeks after a former shift supervisor that led the unionization effort was fired by higher management.
How will Avis Williams lead New Orleans Public Schools? Look to her work in Selma
Avis Williams transformed Selma, Alabama’s schools during her five years as superintendent. Now, she’s set to lead New Orleans’ all-charter school system.
‘Better isn’t good enough’: Starbucks workers in Birmingham, New Orleans discuss unionizing
Starbucks stores in Birmingham and New Orleans could be the next to unionize. Those leading the efforts sit down to discuss why and what they've learned so far.
To reduce gun violence, New Orleans is turning to community groups instead of police
Advocates in New Orleans work to curb gun violence by focusing on prevention and community needs over policing and aim to spread it across the Gulf South.
The fate of Amtrak’s Mobile to New Orleans line will be decided by these key issues
Amtrak is making its final pitch for a Gulf Coast passenger train line. The private companies that own the tracks the trains would run on, however, oppose it.
Is New Orleans ready for Mardi Gras? A Q&A with health director Jennifer Avegno
New Orleans is in full celebration mode with Mardi Gras just days away, but where does COVID fit into the equation? The city’s health director has answers.
Amtrak’s proposed Mobile-New Orleans line is ‘a bad idea’ for Alabama, officials say
Mississippi wants to move full steam ahead with plans to restore the passenger rail, but Alabama worries the line will disrupt the freight rail.
Guaranteed income is coming to the Gulf South. Take a look at the 3 programs
Guaranteed income programs are coming to three cities in the Gulf South including Birmingham, which is set to launch soon.
As The Clock Runs Out On $300 Unemployment Benefits, A New Orleans Waitress Is Left In Limbo
The tips Dora Whitfield earned at Harrah’s Casino covered her bills. But like a lot of workers, returning to work isn’t as simple as following the help wanted signs.
New Orleans’ Return To Cultural Parades Is A Step Toward Healing In The South
In April, Mardi Gras Indians held a funeral and parade for one of their own – one of a few large cultural events to occur since the pandemic started and most large events in the region were canceled.
‘Life Raft’ Explores Climate Change In The Gulf Region
Life Raft is a new podcast answering questions about climate change and relieving some of the stress that comes along with all of it.
Will COVID Cancel Halloween? Not Necessarily.
Public health leaders say Halloween celebrations can happen, but with adjustments.
Monuments Law Adds to Alabama’s Troubled Story
Alabama Media Group columnist John Archibald discusses a new law that prevents removal of long-standing historic monuments, including those connected to the Confederacy.
Matters of Choice: New Orleans – The Choice Epicenter
Most Southern states allow for some form of school choice – magnet schools, vouchers for private schools, charter schools and more. How do these options affect learning, school demographics, and student success? We explore Matters of Choice beginning with this report from WWNO’s Mallory Falk in New Orleans.
Teaching Tough Topics: Teaching Beyond The Test
Civil Rights, Voter ID laws, Felon Rights. These topics aren’t foreign for teachers and students in Southern classrooms. But what happens when pressure to teach to the test prevents challenging conversations?
New Orleans’ Posh Academy Helps LGBT Students Complete GED
In it’s series Back On Track, the Southern Education Desk looks at a program in New Orleans that supports some of those students as they work toward a high school degree. The program called Posh Academy, is part of BreakOut, a non profit addressing issues of LBGT youth. WWNO’s Mallory Falk spoke with some of the students, including 23-year-old Lhundyn Fernandez.
Birmingham Native And Curator John Fields Recalls His Hurricane Katrina Experience
It has been 10 years since Hurricane Katrina, and John Fields, curator at the Abroms-Engel Institute of Visual Arts and Birmingham native, lived in New Orleans when the disaster hit. In honor of the tenth anniversary of Katrina, he talked to WBHM's Gina Yu about his experience and the way it changed his life and art.
Lessons For New Orleans
Charter schools are changing American education. Some say for the better, some say the worse. This week the Southern Education Desk looks at the charter school movement throughout the south. We start in New Orleans, the testing ground for the movement.
